an official  New Hampshire government website     
NHES NHES
    New Hampshire Employment Security     
         

By Geography >> City/Town >> Exeter

 Exeter, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact Town of Exeter
Pam McElroy, Senior Executive Assistant
10 Front Street
  Exeter, NH 03833
 
Telephone (603) 773-6102
Fax (603) 777-1514
E-mail pmcelroy@exeternh.gov
Web Site http://exeternh.gov
 
Municipal Office Hours Town Manager: Monday to Friday, 8-4:30; Town Clerk: Monday, Wednesday,Thursday, 8-4, Tuesday, 8-7, Friday, 8-12:30; Tax Collector: Monday to Friday, 8:15-4
 
County Rockingham County
Labor Market Area Portsmouth, NH-ME Metropolitan NECTA, NH portion
Tourism Region Seacoast Region
Planning Commission Rockingham Planning Commission
Regional Development Regional Economic Development Corp.
 
Election Districts
US Congress District 1
Executive Council District 3
State Senate District 24
State Representative Rockingham County Districts 11, 33
Incorporated: 1638
 
Origin: Exeter was one of the four original towns established in New Hampshire, and was first settled in 1638 as Squamscott. It was given the name Exeter by the settlement's managers, known as the Exeter Combination. The riverside location of the town made it a shipbuilding center and West Indies trading port. Exeter's charter included the present-day towns of Epping, Newmarket, Newfields, and Brentwood. Exeter was the birthplace of Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the figure of Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial. Both the Phillips Exeter Academy, endowed by Colonel John Phillips in 1781, and the American Independence Museum are located in Exeter.
 
Villages and Place Names: Dows Corner, Gooch Corner, Haynes Corner, Jady Hill, Perkins Hill
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1722 residents in 1790
 
Population Trends: Population change for Exeter totaled 7,138 over 50 years, from 8,892 in 1970 to 16,030 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 24 percent increase from 1970 to 1980. The town's population increased by 12 percent from 2010 to 2020. The 2023 Census estimate for Exeter was 16,172 residents, which ranked 18th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 816.8 persons per square mile of land area. Exeter contains 19.8 square miles of land area and 0.3 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Select Board
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2022 $32,022,345
Budget:School Appropriations,2020-2021 $22,314,061
Zoning Ordinance 1973/22
Master Plan 2018
Capital Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: Select Board; Library; Swasey; Trust Funds
    Appointed: Please visit http://exeternh.gov for a list of boards & committees to which citizens may be appointed.
 
Public Library Exeter Public



Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Full-time
Emergency Medical Service Municipal
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Exeter Hospital, Exeter Local   99


 
Utilities
Electric Supplier Unitil
Natural Gas Supplier Unitil
Water Supplier Town of Exeter/private wells
 
Sanitation Municipal/private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
    Curbside Trash Pickup Municipal/Contract
    Pay-As-You-Throw Program Yes
    Recycling Program Yes
 
Telephone Company Consolidated Communications; Comcast
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station Yes
High Speed Internet Service: Business Yes
High Speed Internet Service: Resident Yes
 


Property Taxes (NH Dept. of Revenue Administration)
2023 Total Tax Rate $26.78
2023 Equalization Ratio 63.6
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $16.21
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 76.3%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 21.8%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 1.9%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 7,370
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 3,457
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 1,123
    Five or More Units in Structure 1,942
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 848




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 16,172   320,689
   2020 16,030   314,176
   2010 14,312   295,223
   2000 14,116   277,359
   1990 12,654   245,845
   1980 11,024   190,345

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   7,152 Female   8,852
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 521
      Age 5 to 19 2,810
      Age 20 to 34 2,561
      Age 35 to 54 4,326
      Age 55 to 64 2,037
      Age 65 and over 3,749
            Median Age 46.5 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 11,826
      High school graduation or higher 97.2%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 55.2%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $59,626
Median Family Income $132,963
Median Household Income $87,679
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $83,414
      Female $63,548
 
Individuals below poverty level 7.0%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 8,068   8,856
    Employed 7,675   8,677
    Unemploymed 393   179
    Unemployment rate 4.9%   2.0%

 
Employment & Wages   (NHES-ELMI)
Annual Average Covered Employment 2013 2023
Good-Producing Industries  
    Average Employment  1,774  1,279
    Average Weekly Wage  $1,317  $1,627
 
Service-Providing Industries  
    Average Employment  7,218  9,371
    Average Weekly Wage  $993  $1,445
 
Total Private  
    Average Employment  8,991  10,650
    Average Weekly Wage  $1,057  $1,467
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  960  868
    Average Weekly Wage  $876  $1,288
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  9,950  11,519
    Average Weekly Wage  $1,040  $1,453
 
If "n" appears, data do not meet disclosure standards.




Education and Child Care NH Department of Education, 2023
Schools Students Attend: Exeter operates grades K-5; grades 6-12 are part of Exeter Region Cooperative (Brentwood, East Kingston, Kensington, Newfields, Stratham, Exeter) District: SAU 16
Career Technology Center: Seacoast School of Technology
 
Educational Facilities(includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 3 2 3 2
Grade Levels P K 1-5 6-8 9-12 P K 1-12 PG
Total Enrollment 852 124 1,874 1,150
       
Nearest Community/Technical College: Great Bay
Nearest College or Universities: University of NH

2023 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (DHHS-Bureau of Child Care Licensing)   Total Facilities:     9   Capacity:     858

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Exeter Hospital Health care services 900 1897
Philips Exeter Academy Education 520 1781
Riverwoods at Exeter Elderly housing, health care 500 1994
CAES Electronics 370 1988
Osram Sylvania Electronics 318 1965
Sigarms Handguns 200 1989
Town of Exeter Municipal services 150 1638
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes:
State Routes: 27, 85, 88, 101, 108, 111, 111A
Nearest Interstate/Exit: I-95, Exit 2
Distance: 6 miles
 
Railroad Amtrak Downeaster
Public Transportation COAST
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
    Hampton Airfield Runway  2,100 ft. turf
    Lighted?  Yes Navigation Aids?  No
 
Nearest Airport With Scheduled Service
    Manchester-Boston Regional Distance   33 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 31 miles
    Portland, Maine 68 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 52 miles
    New York City, New York 263 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 285 miles
 
Commuting To Work (ACS 2018-2022)
Workers 16 years of age and over
  Drove alone, car/truck/van: 74.0%
  Carpooled, car/truck/van: 4.7%
  Used Public Transportation: 0.0%
  Walked: 3.1%
  Traveled by other means: 1.9%
  Worked at home: 16.3%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 23.6 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 78.5%
Commute to other NH community: 9.3%
Commute out-of-state: 12.2%
Recreation, Attractions, Events
X Municipal Parks
X YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
Swimming: INDOOR FACILITY
X Swimming: OUTDOOR FACILITY
Tennis Courts: Indoor Facility
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
X Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
X Bowling Facilities
X Museums
Cinemas
X Performing Arts Facilities
X Tourist Attractions
X Youth Organizations (ie Scouts and 4-H)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X Youth Sports: Soccer
X Youth Sports: Football
X Youth Sports: Basketball
X Youth Sports: Hockey
X Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreation Areas
X Overnight or Day Camps

Nearest Ski Areas: Gunstock
 
Other: Walking Trails